Grouper Fishing ~ The Main Draw of Fishing Charter BoatsGrouper fishing is one of the top-draw of most fishing charters around the world because grouper are aggressive and dirty fighters when hooked and they are one of the best eating fish of the sea. Distribution Grouper are members of the Serranidae family of sea bass of which there are more than 400 known species. They are large-mouthed predatory fish distributed worldwide in temperate to tropical seas. The red, black, yellowfin, Nassau, and the large jewfish are some of the commonest groupers. Size These prized saltwater fish range in size from small to very large. The jewfish also known as the goliath grouper is the largest of the grouper family that can grow to more than 8 feet in length and a weight of more than 800 lbs. Habitat Inhabiting both inshore and offshore waters, these bottom-dwellers prefer rocks, coral reefs, ledges and wrecks as their hideouts to ambush their prey. Diet Their most common foods are fish, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, squid, octopus and also marine turtles. Tackle The rod should be a 6 – 8 foot moderate to fast-action rod with plenty of backbone. And combined with a good matching conventional bait-casting reel filled with 50 – 80 lbs test braided fishing line. Use a # 5/0 – 8/0 J- hook or circle hook, depending on the bait and size of fish targeted. I prefer to use circle hook because it is self-hooking so I don’t have to set the hook once the fish bite. The weight of the sinker depends on the depth and current-flow. Sometimes very heavy sinkers are needed to get the baited-hook down and keep it on the bottom. Bait Live-bait such as squid, shrimps, mantis prawns, octopus, pinfish, sardine and some other small fish are the best bait for grouper fishing. Otherwise squid cut into strip and large filleted fish will also work. Lure My favorite lure for grouper hunting is the new Japanese’s Inchiku jig or Salty Rubber jig, which consists of a soft rubber squid attached to a solid metal jig. Inchiku jigs that can be presented as close to the bottom are specially designed for bottom fishing targeting most bottom dwellers, especially snappers and groupers. _ Fishing Rigs Two common rigs are used by anglers for grouper fishing: One is the fish finder rig with a bell sinker attached on the end to prevent hung-up on structure below and the other is the running sinker rig with an egg sinker attached before the swivel and with a fluorocarbon leader of about 6 feet long to allow the bait to look lively and be taken freely without any pressure. Fishing Techniques Groupers are usually fished on an anchored or drifting boat. As they are bottom-dwellers the baited-hook must be presented close or on the bottom. These large-mouthed predators have the habit of hiding behind structure to ambush their prey. Once prey is detected they will dart out with great speed to inhale the prey. Immediately they will head back to their hiding place to enjoy the food, and this is the moment most fish are lost. One way to prevent them from heading back to their rough neighborhood and tangling the line is to set the drag very tight and at the same time reel in fast for the first 10 – 30 meters of line once the fish is hooked. But despite whatever precautions you take the fish is often the winner! So prepare to donate some terminal rigs to the structure below where groupers live. Grouper fishing is very popular as grouper are not only fun to catch; the firm, white meat is also good to eat. You can readily find fishing charter boats going out every day as grouper can be fished all-year round.  Custom Search Back to Top:
Grouper Fishing
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